Revolutionizing Lawn Care: A Smart Fleet Case History

The Challenge: Scaling and Securing a New Generation of Robotics

A leading lawn care manufacturer faced a strategic shift from selling robotic mowers to offering a subscription-based, fully managed lawn care service. This transformation required a new business model focused on reliability, performance, and lifecycle management. The traditional reactive support system lacked real-time visibility, resulting in inefficiencies and customer dissatisfaction. To enable proactive service, the company needed a system for fleet-wide monitoring and remote management. Key challenges included secure connectivity in varied residential networks, Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates for scalability, and remote control capabilities for operational efficiency. Additionally, the shift demanded a predictive maintenance strategy, moving beyond reactive or time-based models. By collecting and analyzing device data—like motor vibrations and battery health—the company aimed to anticipate failures and reduce downtime. Solving these complex challenges required a partner with deep expertise in embedded systems, software development, and cloud integration to deliver a complete, integrated solution.

The Solution: ToloMEO, the Backbone of the Connected Fleet

ToloMEO is a cloud-native platform designed for seamless edge-to-cloud interaction with robotic devices. It optimizes performance by processing data locally on edge hardware—like DAVE’s ORCA SOM based on NXP i.MX8M Plus with an NPU—before sending compressed, relevant insights to the cloud. This reduces bandwidth usage and enhances scalability. Each robotic lawnmower runs ToloMEO EDGE, a secure, Docker-enabled OS that allows remote deployment of updates and features. The ToloMEO Cloud includes modular services: the IoT Module ensures secure connectivity and device management; the Machine Learning Module enables predictive analytics and federated learning; the Cybersecurity Module provides real-time threat detection and OTA patching; and the Embedded Manager Module offers full product traceability. This integrated solution—from hardware to cloud—eliminates the need for multiple vendors, accelerating deployment and ensuring system cohesion. DAVE Embedded Systems’ full-stack approach directly addresses the client’s challenges, delivering a robust, scalable, and secure robotic fleet management system.

The ToloMEO-based solution revolutionized the lawn care manufacturer’s operations by enabling predictive maintenance through real-time data analysis. Instead of relying on fixed schedules or reacting to failures, the system uses sensor data—like motor heat and battery discharge—to anticipate issues, reducing downtime and lowering total cost of ownership. A centralized dashboard offers fleet-wide visibility, allowing managers to monitor KPIs and resolve issues remotely, cutting labor and travel costs. Robust cybersecurity ensures long-term reliability with real-time threat detection and OTA patching. The system’s intelligence powers a user-friendly mobile app, offering homeowners remote control and smart scheduling for a hands-free experience. These innovations significantly improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. By comparing pre- and post-implementation metrics, the manufacturer can clearly see how ToloMEO transformed their business, delivering measurable improvements in uptime, service quality, and cost savings.

Summary of Outcomes & Future Outlook

The partnership between the lawn care manufacturer and DAVE Embedded Systems showcases the impact of a fully integrated edge-to-cloud solution. Through the ToloMEO platform, a traditional hardware product became a scalable, intelligent, and secure managed service. The manufacturer gained full fleet visibility, predictive maintenance, and remote update capabilities—reducing costs, maximizing uptime, and enhancing user experience. This case highlights DAVE Embedded Systems’ role as a strategic partner, delivering turnkey embedded solutions from concept to market. Their expertise in hardware design, software development, and cloud integration simplified the complexity of IoT for the client. The project’s success positions DAVE Embedded Systems as a leader for companies aiming to overcome industrial IoT challenges and drive the future of smart, connected

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